A PERVERT who had downloaded almost 22,000 child porn images was yesterday (Thursday) jailed for 21 months.

Birkdale man Michael Sherlock, who also bought children’s underwear on Ebay, was only caught when his own sister called in police - after finding gruesome images on his computer.

A judge described him as “a very high risk to children” and expressed dismay that while he is in prison he may not receive treatment.

Judge Robert Warnock told Michael Sherlock, who had also bought children’s underwear and had been a peeping Tom, that it was inevitable that the children in the images will be “damaged both physically and emotionally.”

“I have had the misfortune to see a sample of what you have been collecting over the last six years. Some I have seen are almost beyond belief.Š

“The word depravity has been used, that is almost too less a term for some of the acts that have been performed against children aged no more than two to three years.

“What you must understand, and I believe now you are beginning to understand, that these are real children being abused in a foul, horrible and disgusting way.”

He also told 62-year-old Sherlock, “You present a very high risk to children, not just because of the images you downloaded but because of your predilection for children’s clothes and visits to public lavatories.

“I am far from convinced that the sentence I pass will necessarily mean you will receive treatment and that I think is a failure within the overall penal system.”

He also ordered Sherlock, of Alma Road, Birkdale, to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for ten years and made a Sexual Offences Prevention Order to keep Sherlock away from children. Sherlock had admitted 14 offences of making indecent images.

Geoffrey Fryar, prosecuting, told Liverpool Crown Court that early in 2008 Sherlock was living with his sister.

In the April she used his computer to book travel tickets and saw a note by it saying ‘pre-teen little girls’.

She was understandably concerned and the next month while he was on holiday she checked his computer and found two indecent images. After discussing it with her estranged husband she told the police.

When the house was searched officers found coat hangers for children’s clothes. They seized his computer equipment and when it was analysed a total of 21,701 child porn images were found.Š

Mr Fryar said that 1,079 of them were in the two most serious categories. It was also found that he had chatted to others via the internet about the gratification of viewing such images.

When interviewed he admitted downloading the images and also going to Hesketh Park in Southport as a voyeur watching women in the toilets. He also admitted buying children’s underwear on Ebay.

Frank Dillon, defending, said that Sherlock, who has no previous convictions, is ashamed and now appreciates the children in the images were exploited.

“He has lost his home, family and friends and feels a sense of deep shame and revulsion at his own activities and knows he must bear the mark of Cain for all time.

“He will not be able to hold his head high in the community which he has done for many years,” he added.